Ritual by which Clan warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type and phrasing of the challenge varies, most begin with the challenger identifying himself, stating the prize of the contest, and requesting that the defender identify the forces at his disposal. All batchalls are closed and final when the phrase "bargained well and done" is spoken by both members of the bid.

A term used both in and out of the universe to refer primarily to an unseen trio of 20 ton 'Mechs: the Locust, Stinger and Wasp alluding both to their insect based names as well as their minor combat ability when compared to heavier 'Mechs.

Weapons that are 10 times as powerful as standard scale weapons. The standard scale damage is 10 times that listed on tables unless otherwise noted. These weapons are found on WarShips and Fortresses. An example, Capital Missiles, may also be found on DropShips.

Derisive Clan Freeborn slang for the artificial breeding element of the eugenic program or the Trueborn warriors that result from that process. Occasionally shortened to Canister.

Caste

Primary division within Clan society, which is rigidly divided into five castes in order of importance: Warrior, Scientist, Merchant, Technician, and Laborer. Each caste has many sub-castes, which are based on specialties within a professional field. A sixth, unofficial caste, the Bandit or Dark Caste, exists outside Clan society.

A Clan military formation consisting of four to five Binaries or Trinaries, roughly equivalent to a reinforced battalion or understrength regiment. At this level, Clan units are often combined-arms formations.

Combined-Arms

A military formation which has its elements (BattleMechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Aerospace Fighters, etc.) more tightly mixed together. These range from regiments with dedicated battalions of vehicles to highly concentrated mixed units that can have units as small as companies or lances which do not segregate different types of combat elements.

Commonality

Large districts which originally consisted of the signatory-states within an interstellar nation. Such political states are used by the Capellan Confederation or independent nations.

Command Circuit

Organized method of using series of JumpShips in relaying DropShip(s) to distant destinations in a short amount of time. For example, a DropShip leaving via Command Circuit might take a week to arrive instead of spending months traveling and waiting for JumpShips to recharge.

Coordinator

The Chief of State of the Draconis Combine; also, the head of the Kurita family.

Cutdown

Clan term referring to the minimum force necessary to win a trial for which there has been bidding. Bidders who can push their opponent into making a bid below the cutdown are considered clever, while those who win with a force smaller than the cutdown are greatly honored.

A fighting unit that disgraces itself is known as a dezgra unit. The name also refers to the ritual whereby that unit is marked and punished. Any unit that refuses orders, panics in the face of the enemy, or takes dishonorable action is disgraced.

Diem

A appointed administrator of Duchy. A Diem will be charged to administrate small groups star systems referred to as warrens. The title is typically used by the Capellan Confederation.

Alternate term for individual military vehicles, 'Mechs, Aerospace fighters, and other combat units.

Elemental

A title given to both the technologically advanced power armor and the elite genetically engineered Clan infantry who pilot them.

Elite

A rare unit that has endured trials, hardships, and is capable of great military feats. These are troops or units that have seen the worst of combat and have come through. Their exploits are the fodder of holovids. Also used for a character of any experience level that had roll/skill targets of two or less for gunnery and three or less for piloting in BattleTech.

Energy Weapons

Term for weapons which deal damage by directing a concentrated beam of particles or radiation against a target. Unlike Ballistic Weapons, energy weapons are extremely light and compact and when linked a fusion reactor are ammunition free, but produce very large amounts of waste heat. These weapons fall broadly into three classes: Flamers, Lasers, and PPCs.

Elstars

A thirty-second century Genotype of Clan Warrior that was first introduced by the scientist caste of Clan Jade Falcon. It combined all three existing geno-types of Clan Warrior; MechWarrior, Elemental, and Aerospace pilot. The resulting combination results in slightly shorter, large headed individuals who show superior reflexes and other abilities. Other Inner Sphere Clans have adopted the genotype as well. They are considered to be superior to typical Clan warrior, but also they are rarely used unless extreme situation are called for. The name of the genotype comes from term Elite Ristar.[4]

Errata/Errant

This is the name used for official canon rules/unit corrections which are issued from publisher of Battletech. These rules corrections pertain to rules/units which may not be published again for long period of time.[5][6]

Errant MechWarrior

A lone Mechwarrior who is hired to act as protector of under-defended worlds. They are normally found in Periphery, and always own their own 'Mechs.[7]

A Clan military formation consisting of three to five Clusters, roughly equivalent to an SLDF Brigade or a ComStar Army.

Genetic Repository

A Clan facility designed to store, maintain and create new Clan Warriors using the DNA of the founders and their Bloodname successors. Two separate DNAs are put into device known as Iron Wombs, where a child develops.

Green

Typically applied to troops that are unblooded or inexperienced. Also used for a character of any experience level that had unmodified roll/skill targets of five or higher for gunnery and six or higher for piloting in BattleTech.

Gudarno

A familiar title for the Earls of House Stewart in the Free Worlds League; coined in 2406 after Earl Nathan Stewart declared the title of Earl to be "good enough."

A large ground-based Support Vehicle which consists of a tractor and multiple trailers. This type of vehicle can be either wheeled or tracked-base. It usually pulls between 160 to 200 tons. These vehicles serve as large capacity cargo vehicles on colonies or undeveloped worlds with no transportation infrastructure.

Light Weapons

Term the new core rules use for Pistols, Infantry Long Arms, and other weapons that are not commonly mounted in vehicles or on vehicle Pintle Mounts. These Weapons may be attached to BattleArmor Anti-Personnel Weapon Mounts and are not otherwise accounted for in the construction rules for any type of unit other than an Inner Sphere Infantry Platoon or Clan Solahma Infantry Squad.

Level I

The smallest ComStar and Word of Blake military formation, consisting of either a single BattleMech, armored vehicle or aerospace fighter, or single infantry squad.

Level II

A ComStar/Word of Blake military formation consisting of six Level I units, referred to as a demi-company.

Level III

A ComStar/Word of Blake military formation consisting of six Level II units, referred to as a battalion.

Level IV

A ComStar/Word of Blake military formation consisting of six Level III units, referred to as a division.

Level V

A ComStar/Word of Blake military formation consisting of six Level IV units, referred to as an army. Mostly an administrative grouping for regional deployment, they were deployed as field units only at the Battle of Tukayyid.

LoaderMech

A commercial cargo handling Industrial Mech. Typically employed to do physical labor. They are usually powered by Internal Combustion Engine power plants and used by civilians. They are also known to be used by military forces to reload weaponry and move supplies.

Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV)

A firm that designed a large number of Fusion Engines, Jump Jets, and other equipment. Seen primarily in the equipment that other firms produce by license.

Term for BattleMech scale melee weapons such as Hatchets and Swords. While nominally armed with ranged weaponry, the technological decline of the Succession Wars led to the development of specialized BattleMech scale melee weapons in response to the impromptu battlefield debris for physical attacks. While many deride melee weapons as a waste of tonnage and the Clans consider them highly dishonorable, their ability to inflict increased damage without a heat cost has led to their appearance both in and outside the arenas of Solaris VII.

Minister-General

(New) Free World League political title created by Nikol Marik in 3138, whose duties include ministering to the people of the League to ensure people of the league remain free. [11] The MG also sits over FWL Parliament while it is in session and handles domestic affairs of the League. [12] Acts as primary aide to the Captain-General.

Missile Weapons

Missile Weapons are Rockets and Missiles that are fired from tubes and include an engine in the projectile. Some of these weapons travel a flat trajectory, others have an arcing trajectory that allows them to clear terrain features. In general parlance, Rockets are unguided and Missiles have some form of guidance.

Clan name for the master of any particular clan ceremony. This can be a temporary position for small ceremonies or events such as trials, or a permanent position who answers to Khan of a Clan. Oathmasters are also responsible for knowing rules and laws he/she must use to conduct or judge in various ceremonies.

Occupation Zone

Name given to Inner Sphere territory that was taken by invading Clan forces. These zones are referred to by the Clan's name at head of them (example: Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone). Typically shortened to "OZ".

A MechWarrior's acronym for "Poor Bloody Infantry", those forced to fight without a 'Mech or other vehicle. Often crushed underfoot, toasted with Flamers, or riddled with Machine Gun bullets by amused pilots; PBI's fight back with shoulder-launched SRMs, Inferno missiles, hand Flamers, and satchel charges.

Personal Weapons

Pistols and other small weapons carried in addition to any arms issued.

An Inner Sphere military formation, a platoon is the infantry equivalent of the BattleMech/Combat Vehicle Lance, and can consist of anywhere between eight and 28 men depending on infantry type.

Point

The smallest Clan military formation, consisting either of one BattleMech, two Land Vehicles or Aerospace Fighters, five Battle Armored Infantry or ProtoMechs, or five Squads of conventional infantry (25 men total). Commanded by a Point Commander.

Pod Space

The amount of unallocated space that an OmniMech carries. Pod Space is what allows the OmniMech its tactical flexibility.

Point Commander

A Clan rank, given to the commander of a Point.

Prefectorate

Officially, the law-making body of the Capellan Confederation; made up of the six leaders of the Capellan member-states, which generally includes the current Chancellor.

Prefecture

A geo-political district of land or a group star systems. The latter is commonly utilized within in the Capellan Confederation, Draconis Combine, Republic of the Sphere. They are small collections of planets within a Commonality, each ruled by an appointed administrator.

A unit composed of troops that have some combat experience and have worked together for an extended period of time. Also used for a character of any experience level that had roll/skill targets of four for gunnery and five for piloting in BattleTech.

Remembrance, The

Ongoing heroic saga detailing Clan history from the time of the Exodus to the present day. Each Clan has a slightly different version reflecting their own opinions and experiences, and all Clan warriors can quote whole verses of this marvelous epic from memory. See the Remembrance page for more information.

Reseen

A colloquial term for Unseen 'Mechs that have been given new artwork to bring the designs back into published works. Note: The stats themselves and the BattleTech name for the 'Mech were created by FASA and were therefore never in question, only the artwork.

Retrotech

Technological term for Primitive Technology in the late thirty-first century. The Age of War level of technology was revitalized among haggard factions of the Inner Sphere to bolster their armies with any means of equipment.[15] The term was originally coined by the MRBC.[16]

Ristar

Clan compound word for "rising star", referring to a particularly gifted warrior on his or her way to high position.

Rite of the Vision

Clan Nova Cat ritual which a warrior meditates before a large fire to bring on a vision of that person's future. The ritual uses objects known as a Vineer to bring about this vision. The warrior also does not sleep for over 24 hours and fasts.

RPG

Acronym that can mean either Role Playing Game or Rocket Propelled Grenade.

Rules Expansion

a secondary line of rulesets, usually intended to develop upon the primary rulesets for one or more Classic BattleTech games (ex: Combat Operations).

Medium or Heavy Weapons carried by an individual suit in a BattleArmor Point or Squad. The rules account for this oddly by assigning a fraction of the mass to each suit in the Squad or Point as part of the design process for the Suit.

Star League Dollar

The single, unified currency unit used by the Inner Sphere during the Star League. Compare to C-Bill and H-Bill.

Stravag

A Clan epithet favored by members of the Warrior Caste, loosely translated as "freeborn."

Support Weapons

Medium Class Weapons requiring a crew of one or more infantry men. These weapons are only rarely able to be fired from a standing position and on the RPG scale must be deployed in order to be fired. Missile Based Support Weapons, Light Machine Guns, and to a more limited extent, Portable Machine Guns, are the exception to this rule.

Support Weapons, Light

Medium Class Weapons requiring a crew of one infantry man and are normally fired from a standing position but have a folding bipod to facilitate firing from the prone or from emplacements and are intended to supplement the Long Arms carried by the rest of the squad.

Support Weapons, Portable

Medium Class Weapons requiring a crew of one and are normally fired from emplacements but may be fired from the standing position, these weapons are used to supplement the firepower of the platoon.

Support Weapons, Semi-Portable

Medium Class Weapons requiring a crew of two and are normally fired from emplacements and may be equipped with either a folding bi-pod or be intended to be fired from a tripod or a vehicle Pintle Mount, these weapons are used to supplement the firepower of the platoon.

Support Weapons, Support

The heaviest type of Medium Class Weapons, requiring a crew of 2 or more and are normally fired from emplacements and are equipped with a tripod are intended to be fired from emplacements and are intended to be used to supplement the firepower of the platoon. These weapons are also found on Pintle Mounts aboard Wheeled Vehicles, Tracked Vehicles, Hovercraft, VTOL, WiGE, Naval Vessels, or Fortresses.

Surface Naval Vessel

These vessels are descended from the Ships and Boats used in ancient Terra. They are loosely classed into standard hulled boats or Hydrofoils.

Also known as (TST) – this relates the time on any world to the traditional, twenty-four hour clock set to the rise and the fall of local sun(s), dividing the world’s time into standard Earth hours and days. [18]

Pre-starflight death cult of assassins, which were secretly devoted to the Hindu death goddess, Kali. The cult was known to have numerous enclaves throughout the Inner Sphere by the thirty-first century. They became more public in their devotion to Romano and Kali Liao in thirty-first century, viewing them as avatars.[20]

A unit that has several years of successful combat experience. Capable of undertaking the most difficult missions and succeeding. Also used for a character of any experience level that had roll/skill targets of three for gunnery and four for piloting in BattleTech.

Vineer

A Clan Nova Cat name for a object from a warrior's past which is used for their Clan's Rite of the Vision. The object is usually a fragment of the person's life in which they throw into a fire to bring about a vision of warrior's future.[21]

Virtues of the Dragon

The five virtues that every citizen of the Draconis Combine is extolled to have: Bravery, Tenacity, Audacity, Integrity and Wisdom.[3]

A yellow bird that seeks to blind the sleeping dragon of the Draconis Combine. In common usage this also means enemies of the Draconis Combine, particularly those that seem harmless or are overlooked.[24]